Higanbana
by Kushinada Uzumaki
Summary: Summary: AU: Fem!Harry. An afterlife as the Mistress of Death could be lonely. It was selfish, but Masaki wanted a second chance with her parents. Her hope was this time there would be no Voldemort to interfere and cut their time short. Despite the constant clan wars, she got her wish - for the most part.
1. Higanbana I

**"Higanbana" (** **彼岸花) refers to the red spider lily, a flower that blooms near cemeteries, and because of that it is featured in sorrowful legends, as well as used in funerals. The name of the flower can also refer to 'the other shore'; its bright colours said to guide souls into the afterlife. An aspect that presumably explains its use at funerals.**

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 **Higanbana.**

Tobirama watched his students argue with outward apathetic stoicism. He'd expected this, honestly. They were still young, barely twenty-three (some not yet twenty-three). More so, Tobirama expected this of Danzō and Hiruzen. Sometimes their tentative friendship reminded him of his brother's friendship with Madara.

Their rivalry often had them at each others throats though. Hashirama and Madara had a common dream to bond over, Danzō and Hiruzen lacked that. Any other time he'd let them fight it out, making sure nothing went too far should it devolve into an all-out brawl, but now wasn't the time for their rivalry. It would be only minutes before the Kinkaku Force ambushed them; if they were going to act, they had to act now!

"I'll be the decoy..." Tobirama announced, cutting into their argument. "You are the bright flames who must protect the village."

"You can't! You're the Hokage!" Danzō yelled, shocked his leader would even suggest it. "There is no one greater than you in the village!"

Tobirama sighed. "Danzō, you and Saru have always been rivals in everything you do. But what we need now is unity. Don't bring your personal squabbles into this."

"At any rate, Danzō... Saru... there's no need to be hasty at your age. One day the time will come. Just stay alive, until then." Tobirama stood up, determined to succeed but with a grimly accepting expression. His squad could tell he fully accepted he would die.

"Saru," he began. "You must protect those who have faith in you and who love the village, and train up those to whom you can entrust the next generation... for tomorrow, you will be Hokage!"

Their eyes widen owlishly, none more so than Hiruzen and Danzō. They'd expected their sensei and squad leader to announce his successor, but they'd not expected it to be one of them. Oh, Danzō and Hiruzen had both hoped, but not thought either of them would be chosen given their young age. Shaking his shock, Hiruzen drops his head into a bow along with the others, and Danzō grinds his teeth but holds his tongue.

"Yes, sir," Hiruzen says.

Tree leaves rustle and fall around them as they plan, and unnoticed a snowy owl takes flight.

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A midnight haired woman sat against the base of a tree, seemingly asleep. Black eyelashes fluttered open to reveal bright, jewel green eyes. Smiling softly, the woman raised her left arm to the sky. Seconds later an elegant white owl perched on her sleeved arm.

"Hello, Hedwig," she muttered, running a hand down one of the owls wings. "What did you learn?"

"It's as you sensed, princess," Hedwig spoke, which would have startled any civilian not used to summons. "The ninja ahead are from Konoha, but they're being pursued by Kumo's Kinkaku Force. In fact, I believe by now the Kinkaku Force is upon them, or at least the decoy."

"I see," Masaki murmured. "So they chose to sacrifice one of their own so the rest could escape..."

"Yes. But Masaki-hime, the man who chose to sacrifice himself..." Hedwig began, "I believe him to be Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime Hokage."

Masaki's green eyes shot over to connect with Hedwig's golden ones. She'd not expected that, but she wasn't surprised by the Nidaime's choice either. From what she'd heard of the Hokage, he was someone who would put the good of the village and his comrades above himself. It was hearsay, honestly, but she'd heard it often enough to take it as truth.

With the First Shinobi War happening, Masaki's parents had all but begged her to return home, or at least go to Konoha. Konoha was allied with her home village of Uzushiogakure, since she didn't wish to abandon her travels, Masaki chose to visit her cousin – Uzumaki Mito – in Konoha until the war was over.

Frankly, the war didn't bother her. She'd been through wars before, in her first life as Harriet Potter war had been her purpose up until she was nearly eighteen. Then she found out that being the Mistress of Death was more than a silly title. She stopped aging almost completely, and by the time she turned forty she started using charms to appear older than she looked. Magic made witches and wizards age slower and live well into their hundreds, but even for magical people she was aging too slow. The last thing she wanted was to be accused of practicing the dark arts.

She went through two more wars after Voldemort, and many dark witches and wizards who tried and failed to replace Voldemort with their own reign of terror. The first to succeed was thirty-five years after the Battle of Hogwarts. Admittedly, it was a short lived war, but the deaths had been numerous on both sides. It was a dark time for the wizarding world.

The second was more of a threat and the war had lasted much longer. She fought in the war, despite being well past her prime, and died at the age of one-hundred and twenty defending against the Dark Lady; taking her into death with her.

After which, the then named Hari Potter joined Death in the afterlife and began her duties after having time to visit with her family and friends in the pure-lands. She was something of a deity of death, a grim reaper of sorts who helped Death by ferrying souls into the afterlife. She never really saw the need to join in the cycle of rebirth, at least, not until recently.

Her parents decided to be reborn and some years later Death simply laid it down for her. She could be reborn the child of her parents reincarnations, awakening their past-life memories when she pleased, or she could go on as she was.

It was selfish, but Masaki wanted a second chance with her parents. Her hope was this time there would be no Voldemort to interfere and cut their time short. Despite the constant clan wars, Masaki got her wish, and not long after her birth her parents regained the memories of their past lives (by this time she was already Tōkō Masaki, and neither had the heart or desire to change it).

Upon seeing the lightning bolt birthmark upon their daughter's brow, Yuri and Jin knew she was the reincarnation of their past-life daughter. Even if she hadn't been, they'd still have loved her the same.

Although a lot of her power was sealed within her soul, as she was basically a demi-deity, deaths avatar, she still retained her magic; unlike her parents whose magical core was replaced with chakra. Masaki also had chakra, but it was considered rather minuscule compared to most of her mother's clan, even a half-blooded Uzumaki like herself. She was considered to have taken more after her father's clan, but even he had larger reserves; most of her clan did.

In truth, this was to regulate her magical energy and chakra so they could work together without slowly killing her. And as slim as those chances were, it was still possible without a perfect balance between her magical core and chakra. When she started doing magic the clan called it a new bloodline, possibly brought about by the merging of an Uzumaki and Tōkō (her father's clan, who while small, were distant cousins of the Uchiha).

The Tōkō clan always had a bit of mystery to it; to an outsiders point of view, at least. It was an accepted explanation since new bloodlines did pop up from time to time, so it didn't matter if it wasn't the first time an Uzumaki and Tōkō had married.

Masaki stood up and brushed off her kimono, which was made for battle. It came just past her knees and was off-white in color. The sleeves were long, brushing past her fingertips, aided by the fact the kimono bared her shoulders and a generous amount of cleavage to the world.

Tightly wound around her waist was a crimson obi with black details, and a slim breast plate enhanced with durability seals covered her torso. She also wore dark shinobi boots and crimson stockings. Weapons were strategically placed on her person. She'd been mistaken for a geisha more than a few times because of her choice of dress, but she cared not how others thought of her.

She had rather great respect for geisha in fact, having learned a few things about grace and dance from them during her travels. As a kunoichi she had no fear of using her body to her advantage, but neither was she someone to sleep with a guy for a mission – there were other ways to get information. She was no prude, but she had her compunctions.

"Masaki-hime?" Hedwig tilted her head in question, and Masaki smiled.

"If I Apparate I might get there before they can kill him," she said.

"You plan to interfere?"

The war had been going on for two years now, and this wasn't the first time she'd run into the middle of a battle field. But Hedwig had never seen her mistress interfere. Sometimes she would offer her medical aid after the battle was over, but she never joined in unless she had no choice. Which rarely happened.

"He's Mito's family. I may not remember much of cousin Mito, but I don't wish her to lose anyone close to her to war. If I recall, she lost her husband two years ago, just before the war began."

Hedwig nodded and flew onto one of the tree branches, watching as the girl she'd seen as a hatchling in both lifetimes sensed for Tobirama's chakra, before disappearing without a sound (unlike the usual Apparation, Masaki had long since learned to do it soundlessly).

"Good luck, Princess."

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The moment she appeared, Masaki had to take in many things at once. One, there were fifteen shinobi dead or dying on the ground around them. Not bad, considering there were twenty-five originally. Two, she'd appeared between the Second Hokage and a large man delivering the final blow.

She would have taken the blow to the torso if not for her quick reflexes; she flicked her wrist up and wordlessly cast a shield charm. The charm was just powerful enough to stop the blade within inches from her chest. And Kinkaku (possibly the one the force was named for) stood there startled.

A woman had appeared out of nowhere, and somehow stopped his blade mid-strike. No matter the force he put behind his sword he couldn't move it forward an inch. At first, he thought the girl must be from Konoha, possibly an Uchiha by her looks alone. But her eyes ruined the image – instead of black they were a verdant green. Tobirama had noticed the same, though he'd yet to meet her eyes.

"H-how?" Kinkaku muttered.

Masaki tilted her head and smirked. "Expelliarmus," she said, watching as Kinkaku's sword goes flying out of his reach. Having to drop her shield seconds after uttering the disarming spell she moved back.

In an instant the remaining ninja were upon her. Kinkaku being the closest rushed her. He was easily stronger than her in brute strength, but she had speed and agility. He towered over her and his muscles made him even more intimidating. At least, he would be to someone else – she'd seen too much to let Kinkaku's appearance spook her.

"Conjunctivitis!" she cried out, and Kinkaku came to an abrupt stop. He began to panic immediately, holding his hands up to his eyes as he shouted like a mad man.

"My eyes! Uh, what did you do to them you..." He thrashes around wildly, but before he could gain his cool, Masaki had drawn her tantō from the back of her obi and sliced through Kinkaku's neck. Blood gushed, and having cut so deeply and severed every major artery she could, he fell dead within seconds.

She had only a few seconds to recognize the loss of life. Had it been centuries ago, Masaki would've been more distraught over killing someone, but she wasn't the same girl she'd been then. She'd seen too much to ever be that innocent again. This was hardly the first death she'd caused.

It was easy for her to see Kinkaku was the one leading the force. With him gone it left her with nine shocked and ruthless ninja, all of whom were highly trained. They'd been so caught off guard by her easy defeat of their leader, easily the strongest of them, they'd stopped their approach momentarily. But she could see rage replacing their shock, and Masaki knew she didn't have long to develop a plan.

Looking behind her she saw Tobirama was trying to stand, obviously wishing to help her fight. He held his side and stomach as if to keep his insides on the inside, and from all the blood she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He was much paler than he should be, and his wine-red eyes were unusually heavily lidded and blurry. He was in no shape too fight.

Tobirama knew he wasn't in any shape to fight, but he couldn't let this woman defend him herself. There were still nine highly trained Kumo-nin left to face, and after she'd killed their leader they'd not be kind to her. This also put her in a difficult situation when Kinkaku's brother found out his brother was dead. He'd been surprised to find Ginkaku wasn't with his brother for this mission. It had given him some hope he might make it back alive. But he'd underestimated them and he paid the price – not that he hadn't expected to die anyway.

The woman in front of him, protecting him for whatever reason she had as she was no Konoha ninja, was unusual. She was beautiful, and if one didn't know the signs to look for they'd assume she was a geisha before a Kunoichi. She was small, just barely five foot five, and slender but with plenty of curves she seemed unashamed to show off.

She moved with grace, always light on her feet – like a bird. He'd witnessed her defeat Kinkaku, who'd given him problems, without breaking a sweat. She spoke strange words, had no need for hand seals, and then quickly executed him by cutting his throat. She was highly trained and with what chakra he had left he could sense she was at least part Uzumaki.

That was a surprise since she only somewhat resembled the clan. From the angle he'd first seen her she looked like an Uchiha. The long midnight hair, though straight, was similar to the raven color of most Uchiha – even having a blue sheen to it when the light hit it. Her skin was fair, another common Uchiha trait. Her face was heart-shaped, with high cheekbones which were almost noble in appearance, but that was where the similarities ended.

Her chakra, while tinged with similar chakra, was so distant if she was related to them it was a few generations removed. Her eyes were too bright and brilliant of a green to be closely related to them, and he knew no Uchiha or Uzumaki who could get along long enough to create offspring. Her eyes were almond shaped with thick lashes, her nose straight and button-like, her lips neither too thin or too full.

He noticed this all in the few seconds she'd been looking at him, sizing him up to see if he was of any help to her. From her resigned sigh, Tobirama knew she'd realized he wouldn't be, and he clinched his other hand into a fist at his weakness.

"Stay put, you're in no shape to fight," she spoke, her voice soft and slightly husky. "I'll take care of this problem."

She flashed him a small reassuring smile, though he wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or her own. Masaki ducked down when the first ninja was on her, rushing her from the right. She got in close, stood and grabbed the ninja's still extended arm with her own and twisted. She was behind the ninja and using the kunoichi (or so she assumed, the armor left gender rather ambiguous) as a shield.

The one who'd come at her from the left didn't have time to move his sword, and it entered his comrades chest with a sickening sound of metal on flesh. She jumped back, kicking the ninja she'd used into the startled one. Her eyes flickering to Tobirama, Masaki noticed two ninja closing in on him and him fending off another, but barely. He had to fight one handed and it was obvious he was nearly dead on his feet.

"Protego Totalum!" she called out, flicking her hand towards Tobirama. Tobirama and the other ninja were surprised when attacks and people just bounced off an invisible shield once they got within a few paces of him. She ducked under a sword and when she stood her body twisted into a kick which impacted the ninja's chest and sent him into a nearby tree trunk.

The Kumo-nin realized if they wanted to kill the Hokage they'd have to take out Masaki, and suddenly all their attention was diverted back to the raven-haired woman. Masaki moved back, blocking and dodging and trading blows when she had no choice (avoiding lethal hits but still sustaining damage when she was too slow to react). Realizing her strategy so far wasn't putting enough distance between them, Masaki apparated across the field, closer to Tobirama.

"Yōton: Kōu Hanabi (Lava Release: Rainfall Fireworks)," Masaki finished her hand seals and gathering the needed chakra before she released molten rock into the sky, which rained down, similar to falling stars. It was impossible for the Kinkaku force to dodge all of it, as thousands of separate lava drops rained down. Some cried out in pain, others didn't really have time too make a sound; the result was the same, skin was melted away or burned harshly.

Her Lava Release had been inherited from her father, and while it might not be as powerful, it was more than a match for those without the Kekkei Genkai. She'd inherited an equal mix of power from her parents – the Healing Bite from the Uzumaki side, but the Lava Release from her father's family. Then there was her magic, her most powerful aspect.

It was considered a ninjutsu based Kekkei Genkai in Uzushio, both offensive and defensive. Most considered her a ninjutsu specialist, but she didn't know if that was a fair assessment knowing magic like she did. Noticing how Tobirama had fallen back to his knees and looked ready to keel over any moment, Masaki realized she needed to end this.

Drawing the remaining Kinkaku force toward her in a frontal assault, Masaki thrust her hand out, muttering, _"Immobulus.",_ which stopped the ninja's approach completely, and _"Stupefy.",_ stunning them. The remaining four ninja fell to the ground.

Masaki released the dome of protective magic around Tobirama and rushed over, kneeling down to check that the man was still alive. He was conscious, probably on will alone, but he'd become ashen and nearly unresponsive. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder she stood, ignoring the awkward position they were in because of the height difference. Closing her eyes she found Hedwig's signature, which was about twenty or more miles out from Konoha itself. Hopefully her familiar had found a nice isolated spot.

"Senju-sama, you need to listen to me. You have to be calm and not move suddenly. I'm going to be teleporting us closer to Konoha, so I can look at your injuries, but this can be dangerous if not done right." She didn't get an answer, just a small nod of his head.

Even if he wanted to question her, Tobirama didn't have the strength. Knowing time was of the essence, Masaki disappeared just as she'd appeared, this time with Tobirama alongside her.

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When they appeared, it was to a small clearing in a thick forest – which was common place in the Land of Fire, especially the closer one got to Konoha. She spotted Hedwig perched on a high tree branch, before moving to one of the larger trees to lean Tobirama against it. Once she got him leaned up against the trunk, she turned and began muttering spells under her breath; the same spells Hermione had used to protect them during their hunt for Horcruxes.

Masaki had never forgotten them, not even in death.

It was finished quickly and she focused her attention back on Tobirama. For a man of his prestige and age (and she assumed he was a good decade her senior) he hardly looked past his prime. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was no older than his late-twenties or mid-thirties. Yet his aura felt older and well lived – what little there was with him knocking on death's door.

Moving one of her sleeves up to reveal her arm, Masaki removed one of her opera-length black gloves. There was a handful of light bite-mark scars along it's length, but since she had other ways of healing she rarely resorted to her clans healing bite. Unlike a lot of Uzumaki who had this gift her scars were lighter, probably thanks to her sealed power leaking through to aid her healing. She took a hold of Tobirama's jaw and made him look at her. She had to use an enervate to wake him as he'd slipped into unconsciousness.

"Senju-sama, you need to bite my arm," she said, and she thought she saw recognition spark in his eyes. Slowly he opened his mouth and bit into the inside of her right arm, just above her wrist. She groaned at the odd sensation, but allowed her healing chakra to seep out and into the white-haired man.

At the same time she used multiple healing spells to heal the minor injuries and try jump starting the healing of his more grievous injuries, but without seeing them there wasn't much she could do. After a good five minutes she began to get tired, but Tobirama had been so close to death he needed every bit of the chakra she could spare if he was to recover.

Just after the five minute point, Tobirama came back to his senses and unclenched his jaw. Masaki sighed and pulled her arm away, feeling her drained chakra beginning to slowly return – it would be hours before it was back to the level it had been, though.

"Foolish girl," he muttered, seeing her exhaustion starting in.

Her eye twitched but she said nothing. Instead she reached to unclip his armor – or what was left of it. The entire time her green eyes stayed on his red ones, as if to calm any nerves he might have to someone undoing his armor. For someone like him, who'd seen the era of warring clans, being without his armor in the company of someone he didn't know the first thing about wasn't done. If the situation were any different he'd never have allowed it.

He nodded, showing the girl – woman really, as she was hardly a child – he allowed it. As she worked he inspected her, trying to figure out the enigma before him. He called her a girl before, but she looked to easily be twenty too twenty-five. Still quite a bit younger than him, not that age had ever been something ninja bothered themselves with. Only the strongest made it past their thirties.

He groaned when his armor fell away, pulling against dried blood, but it was nothing to when she had to remove his shirt. Some blood had already dried, gluing part of his shirt to his wound. A lesser ninja would have cried out, but Tobirama had been accustomed to pain since he was a child. Ninja either had high pain tolerances or developed them through battle.

"You're lucky I came along..."

"Luck had nothing to do with it," he said as she wiped away blood from his side and abdominal region. "Your ability to teleport; you'd have to know where you were going to do it properly. You said it yourself, it was dangerous, meaning if you didn't have something to latch onto than there would be consequences."

Masaki looked shocked he'd deduced that so quickly, and with such little information to go on. But he was the Nidaime Hokage, brother of the God of Shinobi. He probably likened it to his Hiraishin, a technique she'd only heard of as rumor since most didn't live to tell of it.

"Hmm, so you say." She pulled a scroll from the hidden pocket on her obi and unsealed a bag based off the one Hermione owned. The only difference was appearance since she'd created it to mirror the infamous beaded bag of her best friend. Reaching inside she pilfered around, trying to find the wooden box with her potions. At one point she'd reached in to her elbow, which got a raised brow from the Second Hokage.

She laughed at the stoic mans expression of surprise, before making a sound of triumph. Pulling her arm free she placed a wooden box on the ground. It was hand carved for her by her father when she was eleven, a present for missing the first time she turned eleven. It was a shame there had been no Hogwarts letter to celebrate as well. The box was deep enough for a good two handfuls of potion vials to be stored – though she had others stored in other scrolls.

"You're correct, Lord Second," she finally said as she sorted through the vials. She set aside a blood replenisher, a pepper-up to give the man enough energy to get to Konoha, and a few for healing. "I call it Apparation, and it allows me to get from one place to another. Distance usually doesn't matter, but I have to know where I'm going. Either by locking onto a chakra signature or by having been there before. Otherwise I could splinch myself or someone with me."

"Splinch?" he asked, confused by the odd use of words.

"Leave a piece of me behind. Like a chunk of my body, an arm, finger, or in the worse case even a head." It didn't happen often, dying from splinching, but enough that it hadn't been taught until students were nearly adults. Tobirama looked taken aback and she nodded. "It's rather unpleasant."

He didn't ask her how she knew. He honestly didn't want to know, he was more worried about the village and his squad. He could sense familiar chakra's within twenty miles of them, so they must be close to Konoha. Looking up to the sky he noticed the white wings and then body of a raptor – a snow owl.

"That's Hedwig," Masaki said, gaining his attention. "She's my summon. She's how I knew you would be in trouble. Here, drink these... the darker one first and then the lighter vial after a minute."

He eyed the two vials of liquid given to him, glancing at her with suspicion and she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"They're not poison," she said, taking them back and taking a sip from the darker vial, and after a minute she took some from the lighter vial. Handing them back to him he could tell they were lighter, meaning she had drank.

Seeing there wasn't anything happening to her, he downed the darker one, wrinkling his nose a bit at the taste, which got a smirk from the ravenette. "See, its fine. Here take another of the darker one, you lost a lot of blood so you'll need it."

She handed him another darker vial as he downed the lighter vial. He noticed little from the first liquid, but the second one had nearly immediate effects. It felt as if he'd drank the bitter coffee Mito liked so much and was on a caffeine high, but without the nasty side effects of coming down from it. If not for the pain in his side and stomach, he'd probably be able to reach Konoha before the sunset. Tobirama noticed she also looked better after just taking sips of the two potions.

"What was that?" he asked.

"The darker one was a blood replenisher. It'll help replace the blood you lost. The other was a pepper-up potion, meant to give burst of energy without harming your recovery," she replied, dropping three drops of something on each of the large wounds in his side and abdomen. They hissed and steamed and repaired itself, leaving only scarred flesh. His eyes visibly widened at this and he went to sit up only for a petite hand to force him back against the tree trunk. He sent her a glare and she laughed.

"It only sealed the wound, there is still internal damage I need to look at before you can start running around, Senju-sama," she said, smearing a cream between her hands and then over the wounds. He shivered, not from the cream but from her gentle hands. He was a rather paranoid man at times, something he'd not let go from the years of constant blood shed and lessons his father taught.

He trusted few this close to him, and though no stranger to the female touch (sexual or otherwise) he couldn't recall any this gentle. He'd seen her kill and defeat ten ninja rather brutally, spitting lava from her lips, and seemingly stopping time for five ninja before knocking them out and letting them drop like marionettes with severed strings. The latter all with a simple flick of her wrist.

It was mind boggling to see that and find the same woman with such a kind and gentle touch. Even when forcing him to lean back against the tree her hand was light against his chest, as if knowing he'd not fight her.

Tobirama sighed, shaking his head as he realized his distraction. It was unlike him, but this woman was a mystery which intrigued him. She was an Uzumaki, yet he'd never heard tale of an Uzumaki with black hair like a crows wings. Suddenly he realized he had no idea this woman's name.

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage," he began. "You know who I am, yet I don't know who you are."

She looked up from where she'd been healing his internal injuries with medical-ninjutsu, and her fair cheeks turned red. "Oh, sorry... I hadn't thought of it. My name is Tōkō Masaki."

"Flourishing tree," he murmured without a reason why, but his thoughts turned to what he knew of the name Tōkō.

She smiled and nodded. "My mother's family has a tradition of naming the girls after flowers or something nature related. My mom is Yuri, her mother was Momo, and my grandaunt was Kiku..."

 _Yuri, Momo, and Kiku,_ he thought, closing his eyes. Those names were familiar and it took him a few moments to realize where he'd heard them before. His eyes opened in realization – those were names of Mito's family. Kiku was her mother, but he wasn't sure about the other two... given Masaki's relation he assumed Momo was Kiku's sister, and Yuri must be Mito's cousin.

"You know we're in the middle of a war... so why are you traveling alone?" he asked. She looked up from wrapping his torso with bandages, a defiant look in her eyes.

"You sound like my parents," she muttered, shaking her head. "I like to travel and I'm capable of taking care of myself. They wanted me to return home to Uzushio..."

 _Ah, so she was part Uzumaki, meaning the names weren't coincidence._ There were very few clans other than the Uzumaki in Uzushiogakure. One of the others was the Tōkō clan, but that was recent – within the last eighty years. The Tōkō clan were distant cousins of the Uchiha clan. About three centuries ago an Uchiha disagreed with his clan and left. Shinobi were sent after him, but he escaped somehow.

Eventually he settled down, found a woman who was one of the last of a small ninja clan, and the two fell in love. He took the Tōkō name for his own and had seven children with his wife. Those seven children helped repopulate the dying Tōkō clan until they were a small clan of around fifty members. They were nomadic until eighty years ago when the clan heiress married an Uzumaki and brought her clan to Uzushio. It wasn't uncommon today for the Tōkō clan members and Uzumaki clan members to marry.

Since Uchiha Masamune, the man who was credited with saving the Tōkō clan from extinction, and his children, it was almost unheard of for a Tōkō to awaken the Uchiha Sharingan – and if they did it was very rare and usually something kept within the clan. He only knew of one within the last fifty years. As far as Tobirama knew the Uchiha denied all relation to the Tōkō clan, unable to admit that Madara wasn't the first Uchiha to leave.

"You should, wars a dangerous time..."

"I know," she interrupted hotly. She sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she tied the bandages off at his side. "I remember the clan wars well enough."

"Ah… I hadn't thought you were old enough to remember such times," he admitted.

"I'm half-Uzumaki, we tend to age more gracefully," she said with an amused smile. "You of all people should know that appearances are deceiving. You hardly look your age, which I'm guessing is well into your forties by now. That's not surprising, of course. The Senju are our cousin clan, so some traits are shared, even if on a lesser degree. Anyway, I'll be thirty-five the end of July."

"Fifty," he said, not bothering to elaborate. He figured if she was willing to share her age he might as well share his. His mother had once told him, _you don't ask a woman for her age_... fair was fair.

"Really," Masaki said, genuinely surprised. Even for a Senju of his power, to look a good ten to twenty years younger as he did was a feat to be marveled. It made her wounder if he had a recent Uzumaki ancestor in his past. Maybe a great-grandmother or the like.

Mito and Hashirama were hardly the first Uzumaki and Senju to marry, but they were the first to form an honest treaty between the two clans. She wouldn't call it a political marriage, as her mother always said Mito and Hashirama were honestly in love with one another, but it had bridged the growing gap between the clans.

If she'd had no idea who Tobirama was she'd say he was no older then his early thirties, around her age (though she barely looked twenty-five). Chakra was known to allow ninja to age more gracefully, even live a bit longer than civilians, but there was a reason the Uzumaki were known as the clan of longevity. Unless killed in battle or of illness they tended to live a good twenty to thirty years longer than the average person.

That was all beside the point. Frankly, age was but a number to Masaki. She'd lived so long everyone was technically younger than her. And she'd seen friendship and even love blossom between people no matter the age. Remus and Tonks being prime examples of love knowing no age. Tonks had been thirteen years younger than Remus, which was more accepted among wizards than Muggles. Of course there were cases were age was important, but with two consenting adults Masaki had never seen an issue, and was one of the first to support Remus and Tonks in their relationship.

"I was heading to Konoha. My parents wanted me to come home or go to Konoha for safety. Eventually I relented, but decided I wanted to see Konoha. I've heard of it, but never been there. I was hoping to see cousin Mito." she said, standing up after resealing her bag.

Tobirama nodded. Usually, no one was allowed to enter the village unless already citizens or ninja returning from missions; a safety measure to lower risk of infiltration during war time. Of course it didn't stop it completely, but it did lower the chances.

Masaki raised her left sleeve, allowing him to see the red fabric holding the metal plate with the Uzumaki spiral on it wrapped around her upper arm. A sign that Uzushio recognized her as one of its shinobi. The fact they let her travel unsupervised and without missions said a lot of her standing within the village. He would make an exception for his sister-in-law's cousin, but she'd be watched for a few days to be on the safe side.

"Well, I've done what I can for now." Masaki lowered her sleeve back to her finger-tips. "You might want to visit the medic's in Konoha when we arrive. If you'd like I could also have a look at it later."

"I'll see," he said, slowly getting back to his feet. His side and abdomen were sore and the scars hurt to stretch, but he could tell he was in no danger of dying anymore. As he flexed his hands he realized with shock he wasn't dead, he'd live to see another sunrise after all.

She hmm'd and pointed towards his torn shirt and armor. "Reparo."

Tobirama watched with amazement as the cloth and armor stitched themselves back together. It was like magic. "What is that exactly? How do you do it? You used no chakra or hand seals."

"It's a bloodline I was born with," she replied, picking up the shirt and armor and handing them to him. He could've done it himself, but Masaki didn't want him doing more than he had too right now, less he bust a scar open. "I call it Mahō." Which basically meant _magic._

"So you have this... Mahō and Lava Release?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. It wasn't unheard of for someone to have two bloodlines, but it wasn't common either.

Dual bloodline holders were rather sought after by the more bloodline hungry villages – and he could see why Masaki's parents were wary of their daughter traveling alone. If someone saw what her Mahō could do and then saw her using the Lava Release, on top of being even just half Uzumaki, many villages would vie for her capture.

Masaki nodded. "You're probably thinking, why would I be traveling alone then, with the threat of ninja villages wanting my bloodlines? Simple – I wont live in fear. I want to explore the world, see it for myself. For the last two decades that's what I've done. Sure, there have been fights... but I've survived and gotten stronger because of them." She smiled, shrugging. "Who knows, maybe I'll settle down before I turn forty."

Tobirama's lips, usually kept in a straight line to match his stoic personality, lifted into a small smile.

Masaki sighed, looking up at the sky through squinted eyes and her hand acting as a visor from the sunlight. She turned to look back at the man and said, "We should stay here for the night..."

He opened his mouth to argue but she spoke up before he could. He had to respect her confidence, not many could argue with him.

"No, here me out. We're about twenty miles from Konoha. Your squad has a head start on us and has probably reached the end mark of their journey. We'd never make it by sundown in your condition, you need to rest. By morning you'll be able to run, and if we get an early start we'll reach the gates by noon. Maybe sooner." She ran a hand through her long hair. "No one will find us here thanks to some seals and wards I've erected around us. If an enemy gets too close, Hedwig will let me know."

He couldn't argue with her logic. As far as Konoha was concerned he was dead, one night wouldn't change anything, and in his condition they'd not make it before nightfall. He nodded, leaning back against the tree behind him.

"Alright."

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 **AN: I've been working the idea of this story for a while now, but figured now was a good time to post it since I'd decided to turn it into a short chapter story instead of the one-shot it was supposed to be. It just got so long and still had so much I wanted to write for it that a one-shot didn't seem feasible anymore. Updates have been slow for a while now, but I do want to apologize since I'd planned to be updating a lot during October, as it's my first really free month since the year began. And I tend to slow down in November and December with the Holidays being some of my busiest months.**

 **Unfortunately, I've gotten a late start on the chapters I wanted to finish this month. I usually don't like discussing personal matters; but I have four dogs – or I had four dogs. My oldest, Sebastian, recently passed of old age (he was over ten years old). So, you can imagine I wasn't feeling much like writing anything. But now I'm back to writing, so hopefully I'll have some new chapters out soon. I'm hoping to have the next chapter of** _The Roaring of the Sea_ **out sometimes next weekend.**

 **As for this story, it will be a short one. As I said, it was intended to be a one-shot, so I estimate no more than five or ten chapters to finish it. Like all my stories there is a page for it on my website, linked on my profile. I hope you guys enjoy this.**


	2. Higanbana II

**Pink Roses** : There are a lot of variations of the pink rose. Over all, pink roses are used to **convey gentle emotions such as admiration, joy and gratitude**. Light pink rose blooms are indicative of sweetness and innocence. _Deep pink rose blooms_ convey deep gratitude and appreciation. Pink roses also connote elegance and grace.

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 **Higanbana II.**

They woke with the sunrise. The snowy owl – _Hedwig_ , Tobirama remembered she called the raptor – barked about above them. Masaki didn't speak at first, but yawned and rubbed her eyes free of sleep. She stood after a moment and turned to him.

"I would like to inspect your wounds now, if that's alright with you."

Tobirama nodded and waited patiently for her to finish checking his wounds. He could barely feel them now, compared to yesterday when he could barely stand. She hmm'd a few times, but didn't look disturbed by anything, so he assumed he was fine. Although he knew a bit about the medical arts, it was Hashirama who truly knew the ins and outs of medical-ninjutsu. He'd never meet anyone who could outshine his older brother in the field, though he was impressed by Masaki's skill so far. Not even Hashirama could do some of the things she did.

"Good," she said with a relieved sigh. "It looks like everything is already on the mend. You didn't pull anything loose in your sleep. And you don't feel any negative affects from yesterdays potions?"

He raised an eyebrow. "No. Should I?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No, not at all. Still, there is always the chance you might, given that some people have allergies to the ingredients in my potions. It is very rare someone would be allergic to a blood replenisher or pepper-up, however, so I never even thought to check. I apologize for that oversight, Senju-sama."

Tobirama nodded. "I see. It's understandable you would overlook something so rare in the heat of the moment. I was already one foot in the grave, so I think the risk was well worth it."

Masaki smiled, relieved, and stood up. "Well, you're good to go. I'll get us a few rations from my bag, and then we'll start out. We should reach Konoha before afternoon if we can keep a fast pace."

Tobirama watched as the ravenette walked to her bag, which was leaned up against the tree she'd slept in (on a branch), and reached in for the food. He might usually protest taking the time to eat, wanting to get home as soon as possible, but he knew they'd need the energy for the run.

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As estimated, Tobirama and Masaki made it to the gates of Konoha just after noon. For the most part, Tobirama was healed enough to move without her help. The shock enveloping the sentries faces when they saw the two approaching was almost laughable (Masaki didn't think it would've endeared her to the guards had she).

When Tobirama gave them his ninja registration and demanded they open the gates, the guards on duty nodded and obeyed without question. They didn't get far before three ANBU appeared to them; causing even more of a confused whisper among the villagers. The ANBU were rarely ever seen by the villagers, so seeing them in the middle of the day caused many to turn their heads and whisper.

"Lord Second..." a badger masked ANBU said, as if lost for words. "Sir, we were under the impression you were..."

"Dead?" Tobirama asked, and then nodded. "I nearly was. For now lets keep my survival inside the village."

"Of course, Hokage-sama." The ANBU with an unidentifiable mask turned to look at the raven-haired woman standing slightly behind Tobirama. "And who's this, sir?"

"She's the reason I'm alive," was all he said, but that was all that needed to be said as far as the three ANBU were concerned.

"Sir, allow us to escort you to the Hospital."

Tobirama shook his head. "Not now. Masaki has healed the majority of my wounds, and as I've made it this far I trust in her skills as a medic." The badger masked ANBU's body language (and the others, honestly) looked as if he wished to disagree, but one look from Tobirama left no room for argument.

Masaki chose to let Tobirama speak. This was his village, his people, and she had nothing to say. To her, it appeared he wanted to keep her relation to Mito and the Uzumaki to himself. She noticed he hadn't given her surname to them either, which was no surprise as the Tōkō clan was known to the major clans (at the very least) as the cousin clan and dirty secret of the Uchiha. He obviously wanted to keep it as quiet as possible for now.

"Is Mito at the Hokage residence or the Senju compound?" the second fire shadow inquired. The ANBU answered quickly, saying she and her family were currently gathered at the Hokage residence, awaiting news on a body retrieval. They'd missed a team, comprised of Tobirama's students, being sent out to find a body by a mere hour.

Needless to say, they wouldn't find a body.

The ANBU disappeared into the shadows soon after they'd answered Tobirama's questions. Leaving Masaki and Tobirama to make their way to the Hokage residence – a more recent addition built near the Academy. Though she hadn't seen much, Masaki already saw Konoha as beautiful. Were as Uzushio was rolling green hills and jungle-like forest that reminded her of home (and by home she meant Hogwarts), Konoha was lush forest and mostly flat lands.

Even the architecture was different. While Uzushio had almost modernized tall buildings, some being nearly skyscrapers, Konoha was traditional with only a touch of a modern flare. It was probably one of the most impressive places she'd been, and she'd been traveling since she was seventeen.

Masaki came out of her thoughts soon after they reached their destination. When they opened a large set of doors into a room laid out like a study, it was nearly instantaneous that she heard loud distinct gasps. She wasn't noticed right away, despite standing out with her black hair and green eyes next to the white-haired Hokage. For obvious reasons, everyone's attention was on Tobirama. While they focused on him, Masaki observed those gathered in the room.

She spotted her mother's cousin first. Mito looked a lot like her mother and grandmother. She was average height (the same height as Masaki – five foot five), fair skinned, and slender in build. She wore a more traditional kimono with a high neck, and an obi (sash) with the Uzumaki spiral. Her eyes were large, pupiless, and dark. So dark they looked black, but were actually charcoal green. Her hair was the common dark crimson of the Uzumaki clan, but looked to be dulling in her older age.

It was almost startling, given the longevity of the Uzumaki clan (and Mito was a full blooded Uzumaki princess). She still looked younger than her years, but not by much. Mito was no older than Masaki's own mother, fifty-six, soon to be fifty-seven, but Mito looked closer to sixty than her parents did.

Masaki noticed the rhombus on Mito's forehead, and wondered if it didn't have a hand in Mito's appearance. Either way, Mito didn't have too many wrinkles – just laugh lines around her mouth and the start of crinkles by her eyes. She certainly looked different than she remembered, but she'd been about six or seven the last time she'd seen Mito. back then, Mito was in her prime (around twenty-eight).

Close to Mito was a young woman who looked no older than her mid-to-late twenties, but given her resemblance to Mito, was probably closer to Masaki's age. She had long dark-red hair, however, unlike Mito she wore it down past her waist.

Her skin was peach toned, her build slender, and she had dark sea-green eyes. All that said, she looked so much like Mito she could only be the woman's daughter. The woman held a small child of her own; a child with blonde hair in two pig-tails, peach skin, and wide light-brown eyes which held a hint of confusion in them.

There was two men also in the room. The first man was probably the younger redheads husband, given his resemblance to the toddler. He was tall (about five foot ten), built for speed and strength, peach skinned, with blond hair and the same light-brown eyes.

The last man was the first to notice her, since he was looking into her eyes when she turned her gaze to him. He was nearly six foot, lightly tanned, his hair was dark brown and slightly past his shoulders, and his eyes were narrow and dark. _He must be Mito's son_ , Masaki thought.

"...Hiruzen and Danzō said you were dead!" Mito exclaimed after she'd finished fussing over her brother-in-law.

"I very nearly was."

"Uncle, you should be at the hospital," the younger redhead said, concerned for his health.

"That can wait, Ritsuko," Tobirama said. "I've been healed of any major wounds."

"Who's your companion, uncle?" the dark haired man asked. That's when everyone's attention turned.

"Huh?" Ritsuko muttered and looked over to where her brother gestured. Sure enough, there was a young woman standing by her uncle. How they'd overlooked her, Ritsuko hadn't the foggiest. She was probably younger, going by appearance alone, but her eyes were wiser and mature beyond her years.

She was also very pretty (maybe even beautiful), with noble features – a heart-shaped face, high cheekbones, button nose, and cherry lips. Her hair was extremely long and flowing, black like a crows wings, fair skin, with the only noticeable blemish being a birthmark on her forehead shaped like lightning.

She was of slender build, but curvy and her clothes weren't shy about showing that. Ritsuko could've mistaken her for a civilian geisha, if not for the toned muscles and way she held herself. Her eyes were what caught her attention the most, however. They were almond-shaped and an otherworldly emerald green. She didn't think she'd ever seen eyes so green or bright.

By her side, Mito gasped. "Saki-chan, is that you?"

Masaki smiled. "I'm surprised you recognize me. It's been, what, almost two decades now?"

Mito laughed before pulling her cousin's eldest child into a hug. "Twenty-nine years this summer. It's hard to forget an Uzumaki – even a half-blood – with black hair, my dear."

"This is Tōkō Masaki, your mother's cousin once removed. She saved me, took out the Kumo-nin I couldn't, and then healed me," Tobirama explained while the two women had their long awaited reunion.

"Wait. This is aunt Yuri's estranged daughter?" Itsuki, Mito's son, asked. He honestly hadn't expected that.

"Estranged?" Masaki chuckled. "I suppose that's what it looks like on the outside."

"She is, son," Mito said after releasing her cousin from the crushing hug.

She and Yuri had always been more like sisters, having been born in the same year but six months apart. As a result, Mito began seeing Yuri's children as her nieces and nephew. Despite the distance between them, Mito had seen them a few times over the years; Yuri and her younger three children had come to Hashirama's funeral.

Jin, Yuri's husband, was unable to make it because of issues within the clan he had to take care of as clan head. Masaki had been traveling and unreachable at the time. But even if she had been contacted, Masaki would've been too far away to make it to Konoha in time.

"The last time I spoke to Yuri, she said you were exploring the world and refusing to give her any grandchildren."

Masaki laughed. "That sounds like mom," she mused. "I was on my way here when my summon told me about a battle ahead of us. That's how I came across Senju-sama."

"Senju-sama?" Itsuki snorted, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "Does he make you call him that?"

Masaki's lips twitched into a smirk. "Only in the bedroom."

Tobirama's usually cool expression faltered as his eyes got just a little wider. Ritsuko howled with laughter, unable to stop herself, and her husband (who's name still escaped Masaki) smiled in amusement. Mito hid her smile behind her sleeve, while Itsuki choked on his saliva. Masaki snickered, an unholy mischief blooming in her green eyes: one shouldn't try to out marauder a marauder (or a marauder's daughter).

"In all seriousness though, he hasn't given me permission to call him anything else. I didn't want to offend him."

Tobirama regained his composure and coughed into his hand. "Tobirama is fine, Tōkō-san."

"Tobirama-san, then." She smiled up at him. "And please, Masaki is fine. Tōkō-san is too formal for my liking."

"You two are getting along better than I thought," Mito said, smiling. After a second she turned to Masaki. "Thank you for saving Tobirama, Masaki-chan. It's not been long now I had to bury Hashirama. I don't know if I could've handled another funeral."

"Yes, thank you," Itsuki said, getting over his prior freak-out.

"T-nk you," a much smaller voice echoed the adults, and Masaki looked to the toddler Ritsuko held.

She grinned. "It was nothing..."

"Nothing? It sounds like you had quite the fight if Tobirama-sama couldn't handle them alone," Tsuneo, Ritsuko's husband, said. "I think Hiruzen mentioned the Kinkaku force."

"She was very impressive. She took out Kinkaku himself."

Multiple pairs of eyes widened.

"That is impressive," Itsuki said with a whistle, and he grinned soon after. "We should spar sometime."

"Oh, sure thing," Masaki said, a spark of excitement in her tone.

"So, how long are you staying?" Ritsuko asked. " _Are_ you staying?"

Masaki nodded. "At least until the war is over. Maybe longer, I haven't decided yet."

Ritsuko grinned and handed Tsunade off to her husband. "That's wonderful!" She looped her arm with Masaki's elbow. "We can get to know each other, cousin."

Masaki's eyes widened slightly, unsure how to approach this development. She'd only ever had one cousin in her prior life, and her relationship with Dudley had been Christmas cards and the occasional meeting for tea at his house. She'd bring Teddy and he'd entertain Dudley's three children, all the while she and Dudley had an awkward conversation.

Her father had a sister in this lifetime, Setsuko, but she was single and had no children (and it looked like she had no plans to settle down either). Her mother was an only child this time, so the only cousins Masaki had were distant ones. Most of whom she didn't know very well.

She'd been equally as lost when her mother had her brother and sisters. Haruto was her only brother, and while he might have taken after their father facially, he had the Uzumaki red hair. His eyes were the same hazel as their father. Her two sisters took after the Uzumaki side of the family, both having wavy (almost curled in places) red hair, but they also had their father's hazel eyes.

Sayaka and Sanae were easily mistaken for twins, and they enjoyed acting the part, but they'd actually been born a year apart. She was seven, thirteen, and fourteen years older then her brother and sister's respectively. Being an only child before, it took her some time to adjust to having siblings. But when she did, well, Masaki couldn't imagine this life without them.

Ritsuko began dragging her from the room, reminding her of Ginny when the youngest Weasley had too much caffeine. Looking over her shoulder, Masaki caught the amusement in their eyes, and her almost pleading gaze turned to Tobirama. His usual stoicism greeted her, but as she was pulled from the room she swore she saw his lips twisting up into an amused smirk.

Mito chuckled once they were gone. "I hope Ritsuko goes easy on the poor girl. Masaki has always been mature beyond her years, even back when she was six years old. Sort of reminiscent of you, Tobi."

"Hmm." Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest. Masaki's character actually reminded him more of his brother, in that she wasn't afraid to be emotional. She'd seen a lot in her lifetime, he could see it in her eyes, but she'd not allowed that to change her ability to feel. He'd seen in many shinobi, himself included, how war could change a person.

Tobirama himself didn't remember a time when he wasn't a stern, composed, and pragmatic person. He'd been training since he could hold a kunai and run without tripping. He didn't remember a time he'd not been worried about losing one of his brothers or clansmen to the clan wars while growing up. Hashirama would say he was too serious, too far-sighted and prideful, that he needed to loosen up and live-a-little. Their definition of living-a-little was vastly different.

Masaki said herself that she remembered the warring period between clans. He didn't doubt it, she certainly was old enough, but she had the advantage of being born in Uzushio. Because it was an island separated from the rest of the countries, the war wasn't as heavily felt there.

But the Uzumaki and Tōkō, the two major clans of the island, did eventually have to leave the safety of home for work, which was when they felt the most affects from the war. They had a particularly nasty feud with the Kaguya clan of Water Country and the Hagoromo clan of Fire.

It wasn't unlikely that Masaki would've fought in the clan wars, given the Tōkō clan's policy on kunoichi. Unlike some clans, who preferred to keep their women off the frontlines, the Tōkō clan saw no difference in gender. If they could learn to hold a weapon and use chakra, than they were capable of fighting alongside their brothers and fathers.

Given her age, however, Masaki probably only became involved during the tail end of the warring clans, and Tobirama felt relieved knowing that. It was dangerous times for everyone back then, but especially for kunoichi (who outside a few clans were used as medics and seduction and infiltration specialist). Having been at war for over two years now, Tobirama couldn't say that anything had changed all that much.

"..rama. Tobirama!"

Tobirama's head shot over to catch Mito's dark eyes and he sighed. "I'm sorry, I was thinking deeply..."

"We could see that, uncle," Itsuki said. "We were discussing living arrangements for Masaki. She'll need somewhere to live while she's here."

"I suggested she could stay with Ritsuko, Tsunade, and I," Tsuneo said, holding the now sleeping toddler.

"I'm going to be writing Yuri today. I'm sure she wants to know her daughter has made it here safely," Mito began, "And I'm sure she'll be interested to know we're helping Masaki settle in. As family, I think she should stay within the Senju compound... I doubt the Uchiha will allow her to stay with them."

Tobirama's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Uchiha and Masaki possibly staying with them. The idea made his stomach turn in rejection – he chalked it up to his distrust of the clan with Masaki. Kagami was the only Uchiha he'd come to trust in his entire life, and that had taken years of knowing the boy. He absolutely did not trust the current clan head, the nephew of Madara and son of Izuna.

Hashirama had accused him of blaming the boy for the sins of his uncle and father, but Tobirama didn't think he'd been so unfair in his assessment of Uchiha Kaname. The man was just as ruthless as his grandfather Tajima had been. He coveted power in all shapes and forms, and Tobirama didn't want Masaki, who'd proven to be fairly powerful already, to catch Kaname's attention.

"No. She can stay in the cottage."

Mito, Itsuki, and Tsuneo were all surprised. The cottage wasn't as small as some cottages, in fact, it looked like any other traditional home, with five bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen/dinning, and sitting room. But it was located near the edge of the compound and was the first home built there by Hashirama himself.

It was a getaway, a place to go when either of them wanted more privacy or downtime. Unlike the other homes in the compound the cottage was more secluded, tucked into a forested area, with a pond Tobirama himself had kept up and placed koi fish in. It hadn't been used in years, though. To let someone use the home was him placing a lot of trust in Masaki, but Mito realized Tobirama _had_ started to truly trust Masaki, who'd saved his life when she was under no obligation to.

"Good. Now that we've got that decided," Mito began, placing her hands on her hips. "Come sit down and I'll look at your injuries. I don't doubt Masaki-chan's abilities; no doubt Yuri-chan has taught her daughter well, but I'd feel better if I took a look and made sure nothing was missed."

Tobirama sighed, knowing there was no way to decline Mito's check up without angering or offending the redhead. Deciding not to put up a fight, Tobirama sat down and allowed his sister-in-law to poke and prod at his battle scars.

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Masaki was in awe of Konoha. One of the first places Ritsuko dragged her off too was a rooftop, where she could see most of the village. It was exactly like she'd heard from her younger brother, Haruto, who'd been here multiple times to talk about the alliance between Uzushio and Konoha. It was a yearly talk, usually alternating which representative was sent to whose village.

Since the Uzumaki and Tōkō clan's were the most influential of Uzu no Kuni (Land of Whirlpools) and Uzushio, Haruto was chosen because of his blood; having both Uzumaki and Tōkō blood and being the Tōkō clan heir – soon to be clan head – he made the perfect ambassador between the villages.

Uncle Ashina had tried to convince her to take the job, probably no more than two years after Konoha was founded (while she was on the start of her journey), but she turned it down. She wasn't interested in politics, it was why she'd declined being the next clan head and passed the torch down to her brother. She'd been intertwined in all the grittiness of politics in her first life.

As the head of the Potter family and heir to the Black family until Teddy became of age, she'd no choice. Her career choice hadn't helped matters. Even her afterlife was full of pseudo-politics as the Mistress of Death, and Masaki was more than ready to take a step back from it all.

Haruto was a born leader (many would say the same about Masaki, though), and in her opinion he was doing a better job than she could've. Her younger sisters, Sayaka and Sanae, born a year apart and regularly mistaken for twins, were never a thought for the position, however; they were simply too flighty for the position.

She smiled to herself and wondered how her family was doing back in Uzushio. It might seem as if she was intentionally avoiding them, even ignoring them, but just because she didn't see them for months at a time, did not mean she had no correspondence with them. Her owl contract came from her father, the Tōkō clan having the contract for decades now.

She exchanged letters often with her family, even if she went months without ever seeing them in the flesh. Family would always be the most important part of Masaki's life (this was true as both Hari and Masaki; no matter how much she changed over the centuries).

She was blessed in this life: she had her parents, three younger siblings she adored, and the freedom to go where she pleased. Most importantly, there was no prophecy hovering over her head like a chaotic black cloud.

"It's beautiful, huh?" In her peripheral vision she saw Ritsuko standing next to her.

"It is," she replied.

"Is it anything like Whirlpool?" Ritsuko asked, genuinely curious. She didn't remember ever meeting her second cousin, other than Aunt Yuri's youngest three. Although they hadn't met often. She saw Haruto the most given his role as ambassador between their villages. They were a bit younger than her, closer to her brother's age.

On the other hand, she was closer in age to Masaki. The raven haired woman was about five years older than her, though she hardly looked it. Nearly thirty herself, Ritsuko was beginning to develop small lines at her eyes and mouth, however faint. Masaki had no such blemishes yet, but given her ties to the Uzumaki and Tōkō clan, she wasn't surprised. Longevity was associated with both clans, even before the Tōkō flourished after the last clan heiress married the runaway Uchiha generations ago.

"You've never been there yourself?" Masaki asked, surprise seeping into her voice.

Ritsuko shook her head. "No. Not that I remember, anyway. Mom and dad visited a few times when I was a toddler, but I honestly don't remember. I've never had a reason to go that far from home, and mom hasn't returned to Uzushio since I was a small child."

Masaki couldn't help but find the irony in that. Ritsuko looked so much like her mother's side of the family. Yes, she had the eye shape more reminiscent of her father, but her build, hair, and eyes were obviously that of the Uzumaki. To think Ritsuko had no memories of ever being in Uzushio was almost unbelievable to her, someone who had been born and raised there. Yet it made sense.

"Uzushio is beautiful, but in a very different way than Konoha and the Land of Fire. Whirlpool is full of hills and trees, rivers that spiral through the island. My favorite part is when the sun-sets, and a crimson glow is cast across the island and water." Masaki smiles, a pit forming in her stomach that quickly filled with a feeling of homesickness.

Had it been so long since she'd last been home? Thinking about it, she realized it had been. She decided then that when the war ended she'd return home for a while, but until then she would write home and let her parents and siblings know she was safe. She at least owed them that much.

"It sounds wonderful," Ritsuko said with a large grin. "One day I'd like to visit there with Tsuneo and Tsunade."

There was a small awkward silence before Ritsuko looked over at the raven haired woman and asked, "Do you want to clean up? We're not far from a hot spring; we can relax and freshen up, and then meet up with everyone at my home." It wasn't outright said everyone would meet up at Ritsuko and Tsuneo's home, but the redhead figured it would be one of the first places the others would look for them once her uncle had sorted everything out with the council.

"That would be nice," Masaki admitted. It had been a while since she'd come across a hot-spring (or any kind of bath house) and she felt she was long overdue for a soothing bath – or as close as she could get in this era.

If there was one thing she missed from her first life, it was indoor plumbing. There were toilets, but they weren't something every home had yet. Most were either public or private outhouses. Showers as she'd known them were yet to be imagined, much less installed in every home. It was a far cry from what she'd become used to as Hari Potter, and she'd never had to worry about such things before her rebirth.

Spirits didn't exactly have to worry about such mortal woes.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Later that day, Ritsuko and Masaki exited the hot springs. Masaki had changed into a simple, comfortable Kimono and sealed her weapons and gear into an oversized scroll she slung at the back of her waist (said scroll had been sealed into the inner sleeve of her other clothes). It had been sealed in the same scroll, along with many of her other supplies, and was something she'd acquired during her travels.

The kimono was simple: a pretty crimson color with white lily flowers along the edges of the sleeves and bottom of the kimono. A black obi was pulled snug around her waist. These were the colors of the Tōkō clan, which ironically were the same which made up the Uchiha fan.

Maybe it was something her ancestor, the runaway Uchiha, had brought to the clan from his own, Masaki honestly didn't know. There hadn't been much knowledge about the clan retained from before her ancestor married Uchiha Masamune.

Walking through Konoha, Masaki noticed she garnered many odd looks. Some were confused, while others were contemplative – as if they thought her familiar but couldn't figure out from where they recognized her. She noticed some whispers among the women they passed, and she caught some men looking her up and down with lust.

That wasn't unusual, but it was more than she was used to, and she'd been to many different places. Some places she stood out terribly because of her rather fair skin tone. Other times because she was an attractive woman traveling on her own, commonly dressed in such a way she was mistaken for a geisha, who were looked upon in a mixed light by shinobi and civilian alike.

So, no, Masaki wasn't a stranger to being stared at (in either lifetime), but this was starting to make her uncomfortable.

Noticing how uncomfortable her cousin was becoming, Ritsuko rushed them along towards the Senju compound. It was a few minutes from the center of the village, and marked by a large cherry blossom tree near the middle of the compound that could be seen even outside the gates. Being April the tree was bloomed and very beautiful. It was special to Ritsuko's family, as it was grown by her father with his Mokuton soon after Konoha was built.

Sure enough, when they arrived at Ritsuko's home they found Mito, Tsuneo, and Tobirama inside. Itsuki wasn't there. He'd gone his separate way sometime earlier. When the two girls entered, Tobirama was the first to notice. He'd sensed them minutes before they even entered the house.

He was somewhat surprised by how attuned to Masaki's chakra signature he'd become in such a short time, but her chakra was oddly chaotic and soothing all at once. It was memorable. Her clothes were different, just a simple red, white, and black kimono, and she looked more relaxed and refreshed than before. They'd probably been to one of the hot springs in the village.

"Ritsuko, Masaki," Mito began with a smile. "Did you enjoy your time in the village?"

"Very much so," Masaki replied. "Konoha is larger than I expected. Much larger than Uzushio..."

"It is." Mito nodded. "You'll get used to it, especially if you stay awhile."

Ritsuko went to Tsuneo's side, placing a kiss on his cheek and sitting down beside him. Masaki continued to stand, looking over when Tobirama walked up to her.

"Did you straighten everything out with your ninja, Tobirama-san?" she asked, rather curious.

Tobirama made a small sound that sounded like a short hum in the back of his throat and said, "In part. A hawk has been sent out to inform Hiruzen and his squad to return to the village. They should be back before nightfall. All that's left is to deal with whatever affect my survival has on the war."

She nodded. "Hopefully it'll mean the end of the war sooner rather than later."

"Hopefully," Tobirama echoed. "Anyway, I'll show you to the place you'll be staying until you decide to leave."

Masaki blinked owlishly, honestly surprised. She hadn't even thought about where she'd stay. "Oh?"

"Hmm. You'll be staying in a cottage on the outskirts of the compound." Tobirama looked at his sister-in-law, niece and her husband. "I'll return with Masaki later for dinner, Mito."

"Good," Mito said, nodding. "I'll be starting soon, so be at the main house in about two hours."

"Dinner?" Masaki asked.

"You didn't think I'd let you starve, Saki-chan?" Mito chuckled. "Today is a day to celebrate! A family dinner to celebrate the safe return of Tobirama and his team, and your first time here in Konoha."

Masaki felt her heart touched by emotions of happiness and relief at being welcomed among her cousins family. It had been a long time since she felt welcomed by anyone but her own clan.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

A beautiful, middle aged woman who still looked much more youthful than her actual age, was tending to a lush garden outside a traditional home when a familiar snowy owl appeared in her line of sight.

Holding her hand up to shield her emerald eyes from the sun, Tōkō Yuri smiled upon recognizing Hedwig. She placed her watering can down and dusted her hands off on her apron. Then held out her arm for the owl to land on.

"Hello, Hedwig," Yuri said, pushing a strand of her crimson hair behind her ear before taking the letter offered.

"Hello, Yuri-sama," Hedwig greeted, and hoped off to rest on one of the many bird perches around the Tōkō compound (for wild birds and summons alike).

Yuri scanned the letter, smiling through most of it. She became a little worried when the letter from her daughter mentioned a battle with the Kinkaku force and her rescue of the Nidaime Hokage, of all people, but that soon turned to pride.

Yuri knew her daughter was somewhat disconnected from people, especially those her own age. She got along better with those older than her, probably because she'd hardly been a child as a child. She was considered a prodigy among the clan, mature beyond her years, but Yuri and Jin knew the truth.

She was an old soul, one who had retained memories of living for many centuries before her rebirth. Masaki tried to be what was considered normal among children of the era, and she did have a few friends, but she'd never been able to truly connect with the children of her generation.

Yuri and Jin were lucky. They'd had a regular childhood, despite the constant war going on between the clans. They had no idea of their lives as Lily and James Potter until after their daughter's birth. They were happy to remember, and even happier to be able to give their precious daughter the childhood she deserved, to live without the threat of a dark lord hanging over them, but they'd never tried to treat her too much like a child. They'd known since she was able to speak she knew who she was.

She and Jin worried about their daughter. As soon as Masaki was old enough she'd asked for traveling rights. Ashina was hard pressed to allow it at first, but Yuri was able to help her daughter convince the Uzumaki leader. It probably helped that Yuri was Ashina's favorite and only niece, even if it was through his wife's side of the family.

Maybe staying in Konoha with their distant cousins for a while would help Masaki become more in-tune with mortals again, because Yuri could tell that had been one of the hardest hurdles for Masaki after her rebirth.

She'd spent so long as something practically godly, she'd forgotten how to be human.


	3. Higanbana III

**Daffodil:** symbolizes **_regard_** **and** ** _chivalry_** **.** It is indicative of **_rebirth, new beginnings and eternal life_** **.** It also symbolizes **unrequited love.** A single daffodil foretells **a misfortune** while a bunch of daffodils indicate **_joy and happiness_** **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Higanbana III.**

The following week after Tobirama's miraculous return was full of diplomacy. Tobirama's team returned from their search the night Tobirama came home, as he'd predicted, and were shocked to find their sensei alive, if not a bit worn down. They were glad to see their sensei alive, however, being alive led to a slew of questions and decisions that had to be made.

Hiruzen hadn't been sworn in as Hokage yet, and with Tobirama's return he wouldn't need to be as far as the council and Fire Lord were concerned. Tobirama wasn't so sure at first (he wasn't getting any younger, after all), but after talking with Hiruzen they came to an agreement. Tobirama would continue as Hokage until he was ready to retire, and until then he'd train Hiruzen to take over in a few years.

Between all the meetings and paperwork, Masaki rarely saw Tobirama after her first night in Konoha. She realized he was busy trying to smooth everything over and prepare for when word got out that he was still alive. It shouldn't be long, after all, she'd left a few of the Kumo-nin alive – stunned but alive. It was only a matter of time before Kumo let the word slip that the Nidaime wasn't as dead as rumor had it.

Then there was her involvement in the matter. For over a decade she'd kept herself in the shadows, anyone who saw her magic was either obliviated or dead. She'd never even thought to alter the Kumo-nin's memories of her, because at the time she was more concerned for Tobirama's well being. It was a small price to pay in her mind.

In the coming month she'd probably find herself a nice place within the bingo-book, which was a new development of the five villages. A book that housed all the most powerful ninja and missing-nin. She'd probably be swamped in owls from her parents and siblings - all worried over her well being now that she'd painted a large target on her back.

She was waiting for when Tobirama found her with news that the council wished to see her, as her identity couldn't stay hidden forever. As the heiress of the Tōkō clan and great-niece of the Uzumaki clan leader, she was practically nobility and of course there would be questions: Why was she in Konoha? Why wasn't she safe at home in Uzushio? Why had she never come to Konoha before? Did she plan to stay? And most important of all, had she any thought of courtship and marriage?

Even in this progressive era, the thought that an heiress hadn't settled down was probably scandalous to the old fogies still holding tightly to the traditions of the Warring States. Many still held the belief that Kunoichi should keep house after a certain age. There would undeniably be clan heads pushing their unmarried sons or other prestigious clansmen on her in coming months.

At least until she'd gotten it through their thick skulls she had no desire to marry and settle down as some housewife. If she did marry she had no intention of retiring, as most Kunoichi did (one day she would have to retire, but it wouldn't be because she became a wife and had a kid).

Oh, she dreaded it, but she'd brought it on herself when she chose to save Tobirama's life. As the Mistress of Death most of her power was sealed, but she still held a connection to Death. If he'd died nothing would change – the universe as she knew it wouldn't collapse into itself and time would keep ticking.

And if he lived… well, Masaki didn't know what sort of changes the choice she'd made would have for the future. She could do a lot with magic, but she didn't know the future. Death would have done something to stop her if there was no longer a place for Tobirama among the living, though.

 **––x**

The sunlight was what woke Masaki. It was bright against her closed eyelids, and although she tried it couldn't be ignored. It wasn't as bad as other wake-up calls Masaki had in the past, but she could've done without it. Twisting around to face away from the window, she groaned, pulling her pillow over her head. It was only a marginal improvement, and she ended up throwing the pillow off her head and getting up against her better judgment.

The Senju cottage was much more than she'd expected when Tobirama first brought her here. It was cozy and oddly secluded, while still remaining within the compound. It was also a more traditional home compared to some of the modern homes that were coming into style. And it was only in the last five years that Tobirama had a bathroom built into the home, renovating one of the smaller bedrooms; but even without one of the bedrooms the house was by no means lacking. The home had a large living area and a kitchen open to each other, with a low-sitting table big enough for a small family. Then there was the bathroom and remaining five bedrooms. And finally, there was a sliding door that led to a long back porch. The only thing truly run down about the property was the front garden and overgrown foliage (the inside was also covered in a thick layer of dust from lack of use, but that was more easily taken care of).

The back porch would become her favorite area of the property. It was also the best maintained. The backyard wasn't so much a yard as it was a pond. Sitting on the edge of the wooden porch she could dip her toes into the clear water teaming with koi-fish. The wild vegetation growing around the pond (and in it) was naturally maintained. It was beautiful; the entire property was.

She chose a bedroom near the back and allowed herself to settle in while being respectful of the home, which Tobirama explained was once Ritsuko's childhood home. Hashirama and Mito only lived there for a few years and soon after Itsuki was born they moved into a home nearer to the center of the clan compound. After which, it became a place Tobirama or Hashirama went when they wanted to be alone. It was Hashirama who'd built the cottage (as it was later dubbed despite the size), and Masaki could still sense traces of the man's soothing chakra within the floors and walls of the home.

Masaki was touched Tobirama trusted her enough to let her reside here, in a home that obviously had sentimental value to him. She felt safe here and that was hard for her to come by these days. During this time of war she was always on alert, being nomadic she never stayed in one village long. Until now, she'd tried to stay as far from the conflict as she could.

As her luck would have it, while trying to get away from the war she'd ended up running headlong into it, and she couldn't bring herself to regret it. Since she'd been in Konoha, Masaki was more relaxed than she'd been in months. She found it easy to lower her guard within the boundaries of the property. Masaki could feel the residue chakra of the Mokuton which had created the home, and even the lingering chakra of Tobirama within the pond. She figured he'd had a hand in creating the pond – perhaps that was why she liked that area so much.

Stretching her arms above her head, Masaki walked to a chest, grabbed some clothes, and then left to wash and dress herself for the day. Ritsuko was supposed to come around noon with Tsunade. They were going to go shopping and then get lunch. After that she was going to clean up the front garden and replace the dead plants with new ones. She'd asked Mito if it was alright, and her cousin seemed more than happy to allow her to tackle the project. Masaki didn't want to admit it, but other than sparring with Itsuki when he wasn't otherwise busy and spending time with Ritsuko (who was a medic usually within the village), she'd grown a bit bored.

For the last week she'd occupied her time by exploring Konoha, sparring with Itsuki in the Senju training grounds, and spending time with her family. Otherwise, Masaki was writing to her immediate family or reading the books she'd found at the only Bookstore within Konoha (Hermione would've been so proud that she was seeking out books to read. It had become a lovely habit even during her afterlife, where if she wasn't doing Death's paperwork or ferrying souls into the Pure Lands, she was reading something).

Ten minutes after she'd disappeared down the hall, Masaki returned for her weapon pouch and scrolls, the latter of which she promptly hid within seals sown into the inside of her sleeves. She wore a high-collared indigo shirt that fell to her thighs, had slits up to her hips, and was bound tight at her waist with a crimson and white obi (sash). Her pouch was placed on her right hip, and she had on tight mesh armor under black pants that were bandaged from the shin down, and black regulation sandals. It was very similar to the battle robes worn by the Uchiha clan, one of the last hold overs from her ancestor Uchiha Masamune.

Masaki used her magic to braid her long hair, the tail-end swaying around her cafes, and the shorter bangs and long fringe framed her face. This allowed one to see the Tōkō clan symbol on the back of her shirt – a white winged-serpent with ruby eyes eating it's own tail, the Ouroboros; And maybe expectantly, Masaki's father didn't wear the symbol on his clothes, believing it too similar to something a Slytherin would wear. Instead he wore a signet ring with the clan symbol. Her battle kimono was stored for now. The main reason she'd worn it for so long was because it gave her a more civilian appearance (there was no way to be discrete wearing her clan robes). Masaki didn't really feel she needed that security within a primarily Shinobi Village such as Konoha.

"Saki-chan!" She heard Ritsuko yell from the front of the house and she tucked the money she had into her pouch before leaving her room. She found Ritsuko at the front door with Tsunade standing beside her. Ritsuko was dressed in a primarily red kimono and Tsunade wore a red kimono-blouse and white pants, with her blond hair in small pigtails.

"Hey," she said, smiling at them. Tsunade smiled widely and ran to hug the raven haired woman around the leg. "Hello, Tsunade-chan. How are you today?" She patted the top of the blondes head affectionately, and Tsunade laughed and released her, pulling a string of flowers from her mother's large bag.

"I'm fine, aunt Saki," the blonde said and presented to her the crown of flowers. "For you. I made it yesterday for you."

Ritsuko laughed at Masaki's startled expression. "She was set on making you a present to welcome you to Konoha. Mom let her pick the flowers from her garden and I helped her string them together. I'd wear it at least for today…"

Masaki grinned and graciously accepted the flower crown: made with violets, white camellia, and what she was surprised to find were red spider lilies. "Of course I'll wear it! It's very beautiful, Tsunade-chan, and I believe it'll match my clothes just right."

It wasn't a lie. The purple violets, white camellia, and red spider lilies would match perfectly. Without hesitance she settled the crown atop her head, happy she'd decided to braid it in order to keep it tame instead of using other means (her hair was mostly straight, but there were strands that simply didn't want to stay down, insisting they defy gravity like her fathers. She'd long since found ways to keep it as straight as possible).

 _Thank you,_ Ritsuko mouthed to her and Masaki smiled back.

It really wasn't a big deal. Wearing a flower crown in public was probably one of the least embarrassing things she'd done in any lifetime. Taking the small hand Tsunade offered her, the three of them left for a day of exploring.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

Konoha was an active village. There was always someone on the streets, or inside the stores or at the street vendors. Unlike when she'd first showed up, Masaki didn't get quite as many looks, but there were still curious looks from the citizens of Konoha. Probably still wondering who she was and why she was staying with the Senju clan – one of their founding clans.

Since Tsunade didn't find shopping for garden supplies or flowers interesting (she was only four going on five), Ritsuko took Tsunade for ice cream while Masaki perused the shops. Despite being in the middle of a war, Masaki found the prices rather affordable. She got most of her supplies at the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

There weren't many clan run shops currently in Konoha, other than a forge and weapon shop she'd spotted earlier in the week, so it came as a surprise when she found one specializing in flowers. But she saw the potential in it. Many plants, even the most harmless, beautiful flower could be deadly. Just by looking around she'd already spotted some deadly nightshade and hemlock.

She grabbed some violets, Japanese Andromeda flowers, which admittedly she bought for their name alone, tulips, roses, and hydrangea: the latter of which wouldn't really be in season until closer to June, but she could use magic to supplement the soil and sunlight if needed. She would return later to buy a peach tree to plant and some lilies, but for now she focused on the plants she had.

She also bought gardening tools and fertilizer. She left with two bags, which she would seal within a scroll as soon as she could find a place to sit everything down. The plants she had were the most delicate of her purchases, and she wanted to avoid damaging them.

Masaki was only a few steps down the road (where she thought she'd find Ritsuko and Tsunade), when her shoulder impacted a broad torso. She stumbled but with her training was able to stay steady. It helped that a gloved hand came to rest on her upper arm, helping to keep her upright. Breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't dropped anything, Masaki looked up to see the confounded eyes of a familiar man.

He was older than when she'd seen him last. His spiky black hair was now long and less of a mess, almost straight under the weight of all the hair, which he'd pulled into a low pony-tail that met his mid-back. He was dressed in traditional battle robes, similar in design to her own, but with a much higher collar and darker colors. The symbol on his back would no doubt be that of the Uchiha instead of the Tōkō.

"Kaname?" she asked, sure it was him but wanting to be sure. For all she knew this could be his brother or close cousin. It had been nearly sixteen years since she first met him, and other than a handful of letters they had no further contact.

Black eyes widened in noticeable shock, and he let go of the midnight-haired woman's upper-arm and looked her over, just to be sure this was who he thought it was. The last time he'd seen her she was young, just leaving her teens and entering into young adulthood. Back then she still acted older-than her years, and if not for her appearance and Masaki stating her age, he would've thought her closer to his father's age in personality alone.

He'd been more than startled to find she was actually five years older than him. She surely didn't look it, but she did act it. She hadn't really changed at all, other than coming more into her curves and loosing all traces of baby-fat that had held on from her teens when they met. She still looked younger than her years, but she was undeniably a woman now.

"Masaki… you haven't changed much."

Masaki laughed, her eyes shinning with glee at seeing him again. To be honest, she'd forgotten it was very likely that he was a ninja of Konoha. She shouldn't have, but they'd not had contact for years. When she met him he was a young green jōnin who got himself into some trouble on a mission. She'd stepped in after some internal debate, but it didn't help that the fight was only a few meters from her claimed property at the time.

He was injured so she offered to heal him and let him recuperate in her small home. A little over a week passed before Kaname left, and in that time a friendship started to bloom. They traded letters for a few years until they lost contact. He was probably the closest thing she had to a best friend in this life (at least anymore he was).

She'd never told him about her clan name or kekkei genkai. Although he did know about her lava release, that was because she'd used it when helping him. He'd only ever told her his name was Kaname, but she'd worked out he was an Uchiha herself. She'd just never bothered to mention it. She should have realized he would be here if he was still alive. But she'd learned never to assume anything and since he hadn't worn a Konoha headband when she met him, Masaki didn't really connect the dots until later. Even then she chose to not assume he was from Konoha. It wasn't unusual for ninja to leave their villages. In fact, it was becoming more and more common.

"And you've gotten old," she joked, a small smirk twisting one side of her lips up. He certainly did have more lines on his face. The tear troughs which had been so small in his youth were now more defined and longer. There were small bags under his eyes, possibly from overworking himself, and he'd gotten taller. A head taller, maybe more, than she was. "And taller…"

Kaname didn't laugh (because Uchiha rarely did in public), but his lips twitched into a smile and he took one of her bags with her permission. "Let me help you, after all, I did bump into you."

"If you want too," Masaki said, shrugging. She wasn't incapable of carrying her own bags, but if he wanted to take one of them off her hands she wasn't going to complain. As she took a few steps, Kaname raised an eyebrow at the serpent-like dragon eating it's own tail on her back. A clan symbol, he thought, one he recognized. And then everything he knew about her made more sense.

"So you're a Tōkō..." he trailed off as he walked next to her, following her lead to wherever she wanted to go.

"I am, and you're an Uchiha."

"You don't sound surprised by that… so you've known for a while, then?" he asked, and she smiled knowingly and nodded. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Yes. It was kind of obvious once I'd known you for a few days. That and I saw you activate your Sharingan." She smirked at him. "You should really be careful of that when you're trying to hide who you are, Kaname-san."

He grunted. "Hn. Just Kaname, Masaki. I think we've known each other long enough to drop the honorifics." Not that he'd ever used them anyway. It wasn't that he didn't know how to be respectful, he simply didn't think it was needed. "May I ask why you're here in Konoha? I seem to remember you rejecting my offer to come back with me sixteen years ago."

"I have family in Konoha, and with the war my parents thought I should find somewhere safer than small civilian villages." She shifted her last bag on her hip as they walked. "I was on my way here when I ended up in the middle of a battle between your Hokage and Kumo..."

Kaname's eyes widened. "Hn. So you're the mysterious woman I've heard about, the one who saved the Senju..." Masaki noticed some bitterness in his voice but didn't bring it up.

It was no surprise given the long bloody history between the Uchiha and Senju clans. But she couldn't help the feeling that there was a more personal reason for Kaname's dislike of the Senju (or perhaps just Tobirama in general).

"Where are you staying?" he asked, truly curious and not wanting to discus anything more to do with the Senju. To his dismay she told him she was staying with the Senju, in a cottage within their compound.

He didn't particularly like that at all. Masaki wasn't an Uchiha or closely related to him, despite them sharing a common ancestor in Uchiha Masamune (that was several generations ago), but she still had Uchiha blood within her.

In his mind she should be staying with the Uchiha. He didn't even know why Tobirama would want her within the Senju compound. He hated the Uchiha clan and made no attempts to hide his contempt – not that he or the other Uchiha really tried to hide their dislike of Tobirama either. For Tobirama to want to host someone with even a drop of Uchiha blood was odd to Kaname (and a bit hard to stomach).

"Despite what the elders of my clan wish to believe, you are a Tōkō and as such our blood. If you want, you may stay with us." It wasn't something he offered to anyone, and if it had been any other Tōkō he wouldn't have offered at all.

Masaki had an inkling of this as well, since he was far from the first Uchiha she'd met and most of them wouldn't so much as acknowledge a relation between her clan and the Uchiha. Masaki got the feeling they were still sour that another clan had the potential to awaken their precious bloodline (and a few had, though it had been a few decades. The last was her great-grandfather).

"That's kind of you, Kaname, but I'm quite happy with where I am now. It's convenient for me to be close to my extended family..."

"Masaki-chan!"

The two of them turned upon hearing the loud cries of her name. Approaching was a familiar redhead and small blonde toddler. Ritsuko held her daughter's free hand while Tsunade held a vanilla ice cream cone in her other.

"Ah, so by extended family you mean..." Kaname realized why Masaki was staying with the Senju before she even confirmed, and he shouldn't have been surprised. The Tōkō clan did reside within Uzushiogakure, which was home to the Uzumaki clan, who were also distant cousins of the Senju clan, just as the Tōkō were begrudging cousins of the Uchiha.

"Senju Mito, formerly Uzumaki, is my cousin once removed on my mother's side."

Kaname hummed as he nodded and said, "Part Uzumaki. That explains a lot, actually."

Ritsuko saw Kaname soon after she and Tsunade began to approach. He was hard to miss, his resemblance to his father was uncanny to hear her uncle tell it, and while Ritsuko didn't much care for the bad blood between her clan and Kaname's, she also didn't particularly like him.

They'd gone to the academy together when it was first built. They'd even been considered for the same genin team, but her uncle had convinced her father that placing a Senju and Uchiha on the same team wasn't a good idea so soon after the Warring States Era had come to a close.

Kaname didn't particularly care for Ritsuko either. The tension between them as they stared the other down was palpable. Masaki could've cut through it easily with a blunted training kunai. Masaki was quick to piece together that they probably knew each other, since they were around the same age.

"Kaname-san, I didn't expect to see you here. Last I heard you were on the frontlines," Ritsuko bit out.

"Hn," he grunted with a short nod. "I just returned yesterday. The word is the war is coming to an end soon."

"We all hope so," Ritsuko said, before looking to Masaki. "Saki-chan, we've been looking for you. Do you need help?"

"I was looking for a place to sit down and seal my bags away, to be honest. I ran into Kaname on the way and got distracted," she answered.

Tsunade continued to eat her ice cream, paying little mind to what the adults were doing. Sometimes she'd look up and look between her mother (who she could tell wasn't too happy about something), her new aunt – who was actually her second cousin once removed – and some man she didn't know.

"Yes, we were catching up," Kaname said with a small smirk when he saw Ritsuko's unsure and slightly stunned expression.

"Oh, do you know him from somewhere?" the Senju heiress asked. She couldn't believe Kaname was actually being civil, much less to Masaki.

While she was happy he wasn't antagonizing her cousin, Ritsuko didn't know what to think about them actually being friendly to each other… or worse yet, actual friends. Call it petty, but she still wasn't over the incident in their youth when Kaname cut off her pig-tails. She'd spent years growing it out to be like her mother, it had taken almost a decade to get it back to half the length it had been.

On a more serious note, Ritsuko remembered what Kaname's uncle had done to her father at the Valley of the End and what it led to her mother being the host of. She'd almost lost her father that day, and if her mother wasn't a strong Uzumaki, talented in fūinjutsu, she could've lost her as well.

"I helped him fight Iwa-nin back over a decade ago now," she said. "I healed him over a period of a week and then he left. We kept in contact for years by letter until we lost contact. This is the first time I've seen him in sixteen years, I'd say."

"Hn."

Ritsuko blinked in wonder. "You've been traveling the Elemental Nations for sixteen years?"

Masaki shook her head. "No, probably more like eighteen years. I was probably a year into my travels when we met. That was a long time ago, I was around nineteen at the time, I think."

"Oh," was all Ritsuko was able to say to that. "Well, do you want to get lunch before we continue?"

"Sure, lunch sounds good. Um, Kaname, do you want to join us?" Masaki asked, not bothering to comment on the grimace that crossed Ritsuko's face. She already knew the two liked each other just about as much as Snape and Sirius had liked each other. There was no point in saying anything on the subject.

"Hn. Thank you, but no, I have to get home to my wife. If you need anything, let me know," Kaname said, giving back her bag before leaving. Once he was gone Ritsuko almost sighed in relief, but didn't because she didn't want to offend Masaki (who was obviously good acquaintances with him if nothing else).

"What do you know about Kaname, Ritsuko-chan?" Masaki asked, curious about what she didn't know. Despite having written correspondence for around six years after meeting, Masaki didn't know all that much about Kaname. She knew he was an Uchiha, she could tell you his favorite foods and color. And she now knew he was married, which given his age wasn't that surprising, but nothing of much more value.

Ritsuko snorted, however, and said, "What's to tell? He's an Uchiha and the clan head now. The clan was managed by a second cousin who raised him after his mother passed away, and when he turned seventeen he took over. We went to the academy together as well."

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Why do you care so much?" Ritsuko demanded, sounding harsher than she meant. Masaki raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused, and she sighed. "Kaname and I don't get along much. It's to be expected given our families history. His father was Uchiha Izuna, who was the younger brother of Uchiha Madara. Izuna was killed when he was a small boy, just before Kaname's younger sister Amane was born. He was killed by Uncle Tobirama, and Madara never forgave or forgot – the same could be said for Kaname, I guess. We've pretty much hated each other since we were children."

"I see." She really didn't.

In a way Ritsuko's story reminded her of the relationship she'd once had with Draco Malfoy. Except with a few differences and the fact to Masaki's knowledge Kaname had never tried to kill Ritsuko.

It had been many years since she'd actively tried to build a relationship with anyone who wasn't her immediate family – Masaki wasn't used to social interaction anymore. She hadn't been for a long time, but she knew how to act the part.

In this life she hadn't had a friendship like Ron or Hermione, or even Ginny, Luna, and Neville. The closest She'd come had been a friend in Uzushiogakure, a boy who was part Uzumaki, born of a Uzumaki father and civilian mother, but he'd died on a mission when they were teenagers; his name was Daisuke.

Before he'd wormed his way into her heart, Masaki had been a prodigy of her clan with no friends her own age. She spent her time with her family, and what was left of it training or enjoying time to herself.

Being reborn had been a chance to reconnect with her humanity. Daisuke, a clumsy boy with bright red hair and pale gray eyes, had been the first person to truly bring the emotions and traits she'd thought lost to her back to the surface.

Through him she met other people, most her own age, but she'd never fully allowed them to influence her or become her friend. But it was her being social, although begrudgingly, and that was enough for her parents – who she knew worried for her state of mind.

When Daisuke died her heart had shattered into a million pieces, and she'd sworn not to get close enough to another human to be hurt again. She'd forgotten just how unforgiving death could be and the pain loosing someone could bring. It wasn't long before she left home on her journey, distancing herself from Uzushio and her family, even if she didn't consciously intend for it.

Journeying around the nations hadn't just made her realize that keeping people out perhaps wasn't the best solution, but that she'd truly become something other than human after her death as Hari Potter. She'd forgotten herself amidst death, but slowly she was opening back up to humanity.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

After the eventful morning she'd had, getting to know the village better with Ritsuko and Tsunade's help, and then running into an old friend, Masaki just wanted to relax.

It was nice to be able to relax, as she rarely did when she was traveling the world. Especially not at a time like this, traveling between villages and countries became much more dangerous during wartime (she had ways of going about her travels unnoticed, however).

In her first lifetime gardening had been an escape from her life with the Dursley's – before she knew about magic, at least. Yes, it was a chore her aunt and uncle shoved onto her, but she'd come to enjoy it as more than that. It was calming and therapeutic, and it was probably part of the reason an incident like when she'd blown up Aunt Marge hadn't happened before her third year.

It was for the same reasons that Masaki still enjoyed working in the garden. She and her mother bonded over the shared hobby, which Yuri picked up from her mother (in both lives). It was probably strange for civilians to see a trained fighter (and killer in most cases) doing something as mundane as tending to a garden, but even the most powerful of shinobi needed something to do when they weren't training or on duty.

She knew her father liked to bird-watch and study falconry, but given the clan's affiliation with birds that wasn't unusual. In his younger years he was a huge prankster, and occasionally he still pulled the odd prank – much to the clan elders' chagrin. Her mother, as mentioned, enjoyed spending time in her garden and studying fūinjutsu and calligraphy. While Masaki enjoyed the peace and quiet of nature and working with her magic.

As she planted the little blue flowers near the front of the house, Masaki briefly wondered what Tobirama did when he wasn't on duty. She patted soil down and hummed to herself as she worked, not paying much attention to her surroundings, otherwise she would've notice the approach and arrival of Tobirama.

Said man was dressed casually, his armor was left at his residence, but he still retained an aura of power even without it. He came to talk to Masaki about new developments with the war, now that he could take a few minutes to himself. He'd been swamped with council meeting after council meeting since the news of his survival ran across the Elemental Nations.

There was also the matter of figuring out if he would be retiring or not. In the end he'd decided to remain Hokage for a while longer. He, Hiruzen, and the council thought it would send the wrong message to the other five villages if he survived and didn't take his place as Hokage again. Hiruzen would be trained to take over in a few years, hopefully once the war was long over.

He saw the improvement to the front garden (as small as it was) as soon as the house came into view. Since his brother's death the garden had suffered for it. Neither he or Mito could keep it up, Mito because of her grief and Tobirama because he'd not had the time or the green thumb necessary.

Ritsuko barely set foot on the property, as this was the house she was raised half her life in, until a larger home was built closer to the center of the compound when she was around ten (and to be completely honest, Ritsuko couldn't keep a plant alive to save her life).

The war started soon after Hashirama's death and Tobirama had only been Hokage for a short time before that. He'd not stayed in the cottage for over three years now, and as a result the property had suffered for it. He did come here once every other month to keep up the back pond, given the pond had been his addition to the house back when Hashirama had built it.

The dead plants were gone now, though, and new plants had been planted. He only knew the names to a few of the flowers, such as the violets and roses, but the little blue ones Masaki was currently on her knees planting were new to him. The only part of the front garden that remained unchanged was the old cherry blossom tree his brother had grown on the property as a present to Mito after Konoha was built.

Masaki wasn't paying much mind to her surroundings and humming quietly, something most ninja couldn't accomplish because of ingrained paranoia, though it might have been the fact she was among family that had her so relaxed.

Smirking, Tobirama cleared his throat and to his surprise Masaki jumped a foot in the air and drew a silver and black tantō with the design of a wolf at the handle. Before she could use it, however, Tobirama was already in front of her and holding onto her wrist. Green eyes widened in surprise.

"Tobirama," she started before releasing a relieved breath. "I thought you were someone else. Please, don't do that again."

"If I'd known you would try and gut me, I wouldn't have surprised you like that."

Masaki snorted. "While that would be appreciated, I meant clear your throat like that."

"May I ask why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It reminds me of someone I'd rather forget," she said with a small smirk, before glancing at where Tobirama was still holding onto her wrist, her blade still poised to strike. "If I promise not to gut you with Ōkami, will you let my wrist go?"

Tobirama blinked and seemed almost startled before releasing her wrist. He hadn't even noticed how close they'd gotten or that he was still holding onto her. "Ōkami?" he asked, "You named your weapon?"

Masaki shrugged, sheathing the tantō under her obi. "Yeah. I heard you had a sword called the Raijin no Ken... what's your point."

"Nothing. It's just a strange name is all."

"I named it after an uncle. His nickname was Moony because of his affiliation with wolves. Hence Ōkami "

"Ah, I see then. The wolf on the hilt inspired the name," he said and she nodded.

"So, Tobirama-san, what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, taking a step back and crossing her arms under her bosom. "Does the council want to see me now?"

He shook his head. "As I've said, just Tobirama is fine, Masaki-san. I came by to check in and see how you were settling. I see you've been busy." He nodded towards the garden and she smiled almost sheepishly.

"Hm, then I insist you call me Masaki," she replied before glancing back at the garden. "Mito said it would be alright... you were busy so I didn't want to bother you."

"It's alright. The garden needed someone's attention anyway."

"Hmm, so how about we go inside? I can make some tea and an early dinner." she asked as she turned and waved her hand, causing the tools she'd been using to move neatly to the porch and out of the way.

"Tea would be nice. I do have some matters to talk to you about, but I don't want to be a bother," he said, his eyes having followed the movement of her magic, and Masaki snorted.

"Don't be silly, Tobirama. You're letting me, a near stranger, stay here. The least I can do is offer you some tea and dinner."

––– **x**

It had been quite a while since he'd spent any substantial amount of time in the house, and he was pleasantly surprised to see it looking as if it hadn't been abandoned for three years. They ended up sitting on the back porch overlooking the pond, with a small low table between them.

"What is this exactly?" Tobirama asked between bites. "I've never tasted something quite like it. Some sort of curry?"

"Of a sort," Masaki said with a nod and smile. "It's chicken tikka masala. My mother taught me how to make it when I was a child."

"It's good, thank you Masaki."

"You're welcome!" she said happily with a closed-eye smile. "I have a small desert for us, if you'd like. Just some tea and treacle tart, nothing extravagant."

Usually, he was more picky about the food he ate. Unless Mito or Ritsuko was cooking, Tobirama never ate anything he didn't prepare himself (the rare exception being the Akimichi's restaurant). But Masaki hadn't any problem with him hovering as she cooked, watching everything she did like one of her owls.

Instead, she'd laughed at his actions and let him help her cook the meal. He had no fear she would poison him now, so Tobirama didn't bother to decline the offer. Instead, when they were done eating he offered to get the tea and treacle tarts (he didn't truly know what a treacle tart was, but he found it easily), while she changed out of her robes and into a more comfortable thin yukata.

When Masaki returned she was wearing a dark red yukata with white and gold floral designs. Her hair was also out of the braid and had a gentle wave to it as a result (she'd long since placed the flower crown Tsunade made her on her dresser).

"You said you had something to talk to me about. Is it the council?" she asked.

"For the most part," Tobirama began. "I've finally regained control of matters. Now I've begun working to put an end to the war."

"Ah, so word has finally broken that your death was prematurely announced," Masaki said. "And I take it news of my involvement has also circulated through the Hidden Villages?"

"Unfortunately," Tobirama said. "I expect to find a bounty on you before long."

Masaki groaned and muttered under her breath. "My families gonna have a fit..."

"The council has also been told who you are and wish to see you tomorrow during our next meeting," Tobirama told her. "I assume they wish to ask you about whether or not you'd participate in the war under Konoha's banner."

Masaki raised an eyebrow, the thought having never crossed her mind. "Do you want my aid in the war, Tobirama?"

"I wont lie. Your help would be appreciated. With your bloodlines you're a valuable asset, but I have no intention of forcing a ninja of Uzushio to fight for us. Uzushio chose to be neutral in this war and I will honor that choice."

Masaki smiled. "You're a good man, Tobirama. A good Hokage. I wont give an answer on if I'll fight in this war today. I'll think it over and discuss with you and the council tomorrow."

Tobirama nodded, not sure how he felt about the idea of her fighting in the war. A war he was working night and day to bring to an end before even more damage was done to all the villages. Already they were forced to use genin on the frontlines and border patrol.

They were never without a senior ninja, but most of the dead who were brought back were under the age of sixteen. After three years of war there had been no choice but to involve the genin. Sometimes it felt like being back in the Warring States Era.

If Masaki didn't want to be involved in a war her clan(s) had nothing to do with, than he wasn't going to push the issue and he wouldn't allow the council to either.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

That night Tobirama sat down to eat with Mito, Itsuki, and Ritsuko and her family. He wasn't particularly hungry, but chose to stay anyway. He ate a few bites and kept himself in deep thought, but with one ear on the conversation going on around him.

"... It's strange to think Kaname can be nice to anyone. But he actually was rather nice today, especially to Masaki-chan."

"What was that?" Tobirama asked, his head moving quickly so he could catch Ritsuko's eyes.

The redhead blinked. "Um, Uchiha Kaname and Masaki ran into each other in the village today."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "So he's back from the borders."

Mito sighed. "Tobirama, please don't start..."

"Quiet, Mito. And you say he was... nice?" he demanded, concerned although he didn't show it.

"What did you say to me?" Mito growled, her eyes narrowed at her brother-in-law. She was, however, ignored.

"Yeah. They knew each other from before. Apparently, back when Kaname was a green jōnin he got into a fight with enemy-nin close to Masaki's home and she helped him out. He was injured and she healed him. I get the feeling they became friends."

"Friends?" Tobirama questioned, genuinely surprised. "Masaki never mentioned knowing anyone but Mito in Konoha."

"I think Masaki said she didn't realize Kaname lived here. They've been out of touch for over a decade, or so I gathered. I don't think they told each other their clan names when they first met," Ritsuko said, shrugging. "I don't think I've seen the bastard so relaxed in someones presence, come to think of it."

Tobirama frowned, stood up, and left the room.

"What's up with Uncle?" Itsuki asked around a mouthful of food.

Mito sighed.

"He's going to his 'Uchiha' corner to brood. Prideful fool." She sighed and shook her head. "He's such a child sometimes." When she'd first married Hashirama and really gotten to know Tobirama, the only brother still alive at that point, she'd always wondered how they were related.

Unlike with her clan, where red hair was a dominate trait (it was rare when an Uzumaki, half-blood or pure, didn't have some shade of red hair), the Senju clan wasn't so uniform. Senju clan members had many differing shades of hair and skin-tones; varying from dark tans to fairly pale and light blonde hair to the dark brown-black of her husband.

Hashirama had been a bright, cheerful man when off the battlefield, and he was very much a people person. For as long as Mito had known him, Tobirama was more stubborn and cynical of every situation. Even so, Tobirama had been so much Hashirama's opposite, that it was only at times like this that Mito could truly see just how similar the two brothers were.

"I don't know. I think he's jealous," Tsuneo muttered, looking up from cutting up Tsunade's food into smaller pieces for her.

Ritsuko snorted. "Makes just as much sense as anything else recently."

 **.**

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 **AN: So, this chapter took me longer than I thought it would, but I've been really busy as of late.** **As far as this chapter goes,** **nothing really action-packed has happened, but that wont always be the case. Some have asked how far into the timeline this will go.**

 **To clarify, this story is for the most part Masaki and Tobirama's story. That being said, the story will span all the way into the Boruto generation** **(at least as far as the epilogue. I don't think I will cover the Boruto anime in this story)** **. So, Naruto's generation will eventually appear. And all four wars will be covered in some form or another.**

 **I'm thinking about doing a small story that will better flesh out Masaki's childhood and the struggles she had being reborn after so long, but chances are I wont start that until after I've finish this story – which compared to my other stories isn't going to be longer than twenty to twenty-five chapters (and that's me giving a rough estimate. So, it's subject to change).**

 **A lot of her past will be revealed as the story goes on, but since I don't want to fill this story with tons of flashbacks I can't go as in-depth as I might otherwise want.**

 **I do have a page for this story up on my website – linked on my profile page – but be warned it might be a bit spoilery to those who don't want any information about the future of Tobirama** **and Masaki** **'s relationship and eventual children they may have (basically just genders and names and the like).**


End file.
